I managed to finish the sashiko table runner in time for it to be part of my mom’s present this Sunday. Yay!
(I’m sorry about the pictures — I’m still really bad at taking pictures of embroidery on linen.)

This is the one that I started in the class with the really nice but nosey ladies who scolded me for drawing my design with pencil. I actually did cave later on and bought some chalk pencils, which I like because they rub off quickly so I don’t have to throw them in the laundry to get the marks off. But! Pencil does come out in the wash, nosey (but nice) quilty ladies! This is the side that had pencil marks that were visible until I put the runner in the laundry (whereas the chalk pencil marks were almost invisible by the time I finished), and now they’re all gone.

I used Aurifil 12 wt instead of real sashiko thread since I read online that it could be used for sashiko. When I was at the class and could see other people’s real sashiko thread, I could see that the 12 wt has to be doubled in order to approach the same thickness, and that the Aurifil is quite a bit shinier. I prefer using Aurifil, though, since it comes in tons more colors — the sashiko thread colors I could find online tended to be more subdued than what you can get in Aurifil.

The class teacher had us use polyester batting (she specifically told us not to bring Warm and Natural) so that when we washed our projects, the batting wouldn’t shrink and get crinkly — she wanted our projects to always lie flat. Also, she taught us that any time we had to travel a bit, we should leave a big loop of thread (big enough to stick our finger through) on the underside of our project so that the thread would have a little give. Similarly, when we knotted off, she had us make the knot an inch or two away from the fabric.

This has definitely gotten sashiko out of my system for a while. I think the problem is that I’m not super excited about this table runner — it’s missing a little something, but I couldn’t figure out what to add. The teacher told me that I should put something between the center and sides that was sort of straight and separate-ey, but I wasn’t entirely convinced that that’s what it needed. I’m sure I should have listened to her — she is the expert, after all, and I loved her samples! Hm, I bet what I really need is inspiration in the form of more Japanese craft books. 😀

I just LOVE your runner! Your stitches are perfect! I really, really, really want to do a little sashiko but I’ve been trying to finish my WIPs before I take on any new crafty hobbies…I will probably have to break that rule at some point though unless I want to die a sashiko-less woman. (Which I don’t.) Thanks for the tip on the Aurifil too! I love their threads! I think if I can switch to all Aurifil, all the time I’m going to be in stitchy heaven!

Love the pale blue sashiko. If this is your first sashiko project your stitches are very impressive.

Did you know that you can use the Cotton Mako’ 12 to create sashiko projects by machine? Sharon Pederson has a book about machine sashiko, and now also has a Cotton mako’ 12 thread kit to use with the patterns.